Draft-gear for railroad-cars.



P ATEN'IBD JAN. l0, 1905'.

H. M. P'PLAGER. DRAFT GEAR PUR RAILRGAD GARS A-PPLIQATION FILED 00T. 31.1904.

UNir en Sri-tires Patented January 1G, 1905.

i Ariana? SPECIFICATION forming,` part of Letters Patent No. 779,559,

dated January l0, 1905.

Application filed October' 31, 1904. Serial No. 230,729.

le it known that i. linnn VPFL'. inn. a

citizen ol the United States, residing' at St. Louis, in the Stute ot' Missouri, have invented a new and useful improvement in i/rat't-ieir .for Railroad-Cars, of which the Following' is a specification.

My invention, which is in the nature of an improvement on that for which Letters Pntent of the United States were granted to me October 18, 19d-i, No; 772,347), vtor au improvement in draft-gear for railrozulrcers, relates to that class of draft-gear in which the drau'-,

bar, with its follower-plates and d raft-springs, is combined directly 'ith the li/od'v-bolster without the use oli draw-timbers and separate housings ior the springs with their respective fastening's, and has tor its object `to insure a uniform distribution ot' the tensional and buiiine' or compression strains of the drawbar through the boister and toe-nce to the entire series ot' car-sillsI and to effect an automatic adjustment to its normai position or centering' the draw-oar. The invention consists in substituting' for the tension-bars and key described in the said Letters Patent a yoke coupled to the drawbar and straddling' the back follower-plate, combined with other features ot' noveity, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being` had to the aecompanying' dra-wings, 'forming part ot' this speciiicatien, whereon Figure l is a top pien ot' a car-body bolster broken away in the middle and seen ther-eat in horizontal section with my improved draft- ,gear applied thereto; Fig. Q, a similarview to Fig'. l of the middle portion ot' the bolster, omitting the draft-gear; Fig'. 3, a vertical long'itudinal section through the bolster and draftgear on line 3 3 in Fig'. 1; Fig. 4, a rear side elevation of the middle portion of the bolster and corresponding' end View ot' the draft-gear as seen from the left otiFig. l; and Fig. 5, a vertical transverse section through the drat'tgear on line 5 5 in Fig. l, showing the middle portion ot' the bolster in front side elevation, as seen' from the -right of Fie'. l. Fig. 6 is a View ot' the middle portion of the bolster corrcspmiding' to Fig'. V1, showing' a modification ot' my improved draft-gear; and Fig. i', a verl tical longitudinal section thereof on line 7 T in Fre'. 6.

note ike parts in ail the lie'ul'es.

u represents the ear-bod)v bolster, which is pretereblg7 mede ot'cast-steel integral throughout and secured to thecar-sillsMindicated by broken .ines in Fie'. l) by bolts (not shown) which pass through the holes f; in the bolster' r and through the sills I in the usual welll known manner.

(l the draw-har, which is composed, preierabl'v, of cast-steel integral throughout andv provided with a suit: ble head Ltbrolicnaway) l 'wine' the ordinarf,v coupler. (Not shown.) The draw-lian' (t is Jformed at its inner end at right angles to each side thereof with an outwardly-projectine' arm 2, which is iiush onits i rear side with and forms a lateral extension l of the said end and mawv be channei-slmped in cross-section. as shown, or sired,A the draw-bar (I being formed in the middle at its inner end with a gap or space 3, which extent s verticali;v therethrough and for a suitable distance alone; the draw-baz' (I, so as to divide the latter at its inner end into two portions +L, as hereinafter more particularly referred to. 'ifo the outer ends ot' the arms 2 i are jointed by pins 5 the corresponding' ends oij a .yoke (e, which is preferably T-shaped in cross-section rend arranged in the sameplane with the draw-bar d, the sides 6 ot' the yoke i being adapted to slide throughl openings T, formed the refer transversely through the middle web 8 of the bolster 1.

',ransversely through the web 8, and preterabl); integral therewith, between the openings Trare formed two horizontaliii-arranged and parallel tubes or housings 9, (pret'erabbY cylindricah) which are openat their ends :ind equi@ distant-fromthecenterotthebolsteru. Within Y Y and projecting' beyond the ends or the housings otherwise, as detween the front ends ot' which and the inner end portions 4 ot the draw-har a. (and the abutment hereinafter described) isplaced the Viront tollower-plate l2, while against the opposite or rear ends ol' the dra it-spring's l() the back iollower-plate 12%, which is straddled by the yoke e, is normullY held by the bar l oi' the latter,

Like lettersand numerals of reference de- 9 are arranged the usual draft-springs i0, be-

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' opposite the `iront side of the bar 14 bearing against the` rear face of the back follower-plate 13 in the puliing operation of the draw-bar d.

The firent and rear edge portions (or thereabout) o? the top flanges or members 15 of the bolster a, along its middle portion opposite to the draw-bar LZ, are Aformed with depending 'ribs or webs 1b 11i', respectively, and the corthe spa between the inner end portions i oi' the dr iv-bar (l which straddlc the web 19 andare to siide past the same thuough the openings between the upper and lower front ribs 1t 18 to an extent corresponding to the play of the draw-bar d.

in the gap or space 3 at the inner end ot' the draw-bar (Z and in central longitudinal alinement with the latter is formed a pocket 20,

and within the pocket 20, between its bottom or front end and the upright web 1S) ot' the boister o, is placed a spiral spring 21.

'lfhe follower-plates 1Q 13 are supported at their bottom edges and adapted to slide thereaton bearing surlfaces or bars 22, which are formed integrally with the bolster l across its bottom portion between the lower ribs or Webs 18 18' and the spring-housings S), respectively/gas shown particularly in Figs. i2 and 3.

For nifintaining the horizontal position ot' the draw-bar during' its forward-and backward movements the lower iront rib or web 18 of the bolster fly is Jformed on cach side oi' the ,upright web 1f) with an outwardly-projccting lip 23, which is liushwith the edge ot' the rib 18 and on which thedraw-bard rides ai all times,

in operation when pulling on the draw-bar Il the bar 14 of the yoke f and the back followm--plate 18 are draw doing compress lthe springs 1l), which iorce the iront follower-plate 12 against the front ribs or webs 11' 18 oi the bolster fr., by which the strain is transmitted through the latter l uniformly to the entire series of car-sills whereas in the ordinary gear the tensile strain oi' the draw-bar is taken by the draw-timbers and thence throughthcir iastenings to the middle car-sills only,

ln the buiiing operation of the l'ront follower-plate 12 is pushed rearwardly by the inner end to compress the springs 10,

to and is of somewhat less width than,

n`i'orward and in so' arrangement oi' drafti the d raw-bar l i portions i ot' the and thereby force the back follower-pitite 13 against the rear ribs or abutment 115 18' and thence through the bolster a to the entire Iseries of -carfsills 17. Simultaneously by the rearward movement of the draw-bar 'the additional central spring 21 is-compressed between the bottom of the pocket Q0 and the upright Web 19 of the boister a. l

1n the modification of my improved draftgear (shown in Figs. 5 and 7) i substitute for the yoke e (shown in 1) two double strapsf, which straddle the back folioWer-plate 13 and passing through the housings 9 on opposite sides oi the springs 10, respectively, are jointed at their front ends to arms 2', which pro- 1 ject laterally lfrom the draw-bar d in a similar i manner to the arms 2 in 1. @therwise i the general construction is similar to that bei fore described and needs no further description. i 1 do not limit myself to the particulier form i and material of the bolster a described and shown on the drawings, as the same arrangement ol draft-gear is applicable toother forms o1 body-bolster by modifying its constructive details accordingly. l By this invention the construction of the i parts connected to the draw-bar for engaging i the follower-plates and draft-springs is simi plitied and rendered more rigid and durable, l and by adding a middle spring between the draw-bar and the bolster the butng strain i on the ordinary draft-springs is reduced and more uniformly distributed, with less jar L and liability to fracture. Moreover, by the 1 greater lateral compression of the springs on one side than the other when rounding curves i or from swerving the reaction of the springs 1 will constantly tend to return the draw-bar 1 automatically to its normal alinement, or, in l other words, the draw-bar Will be'self-eentert ing, which is of great advantage as a means ot' steadying the cars when running at high l speed. Another advantage of this construcl tion is the facility with which the draw-bars l can he brought into alinement for coupling 1 and uncoupling cars when on a curve by the l leverage'ot' the laterally-extendedv inner ends l of the draw-bars closing the'draft-springs on l one side and allowing of their expansion on g the other side. I l W hat lclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y 1. Ind raft-gear for a railroad-car, the corni bination with the car-body bolster, of a draw bar having a suitable head and coupler, and f having lateral arms, a yoke jointed atl its ends to the said arms and slidable through thebolster transversely thereto, ribs projecting from the top and bottom members of the bolster at the 'front and rear sidesthereoi, and in opposite alinement to each other respectively, draft-springs movable in and extending through housings formed transversely l i l i through the bolster',

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a front followerplate rg0 located between the draft-springs and the said ribs at the front side of the bolster, and, adapted to be engaged by the inner end ot' the draw-bar, a back follower-plate located between the draft-springs and the said ribsat the rear side of the bolster, and adapted to be engaged by the said yoke, and means for securing the bolster to the car-body, substantially as described.

2. In draft-gear for a railroad-car, the combination With the car-body bolster, of a drawbar having lateral arms, and having a `gap at its Ainner end, a pocket within the said gap, a yoke `iointed at its ends to the said arms and slidable through the bolster, transversely thereto, ribs .projecting from the top and bottom members of the bolster at the front and rear sides thereof, and invpposite alinement to each other, respectively, draftsprings movable in and extending through Housings formed transversely through the bolster, a front follower plate located between the draft-springs and the said ribs at the front side of the bolster, and adapted to be engaged by the inner end of the draw-bar, a back follower-plate located between the draft-springs and the said ribs at the rear side of the bolster, and adapted to be engaged by the saidyoke, an upright web uniting the said ribs at the front side of the bolster, a spring located within the said pocket and adapted to he closed against the said web in the bulling" position of the draw-liar, substantiallyas described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In draft-gearfora railroad-ear, the combination with the draw bar, ot two draftsprings arranged parallel to each other, one on each side of and in the plane of the drawbar, a front follower-plate, a back followerplate, a housing for the draft-springs and the said plates, and a spring located between the draw-bar and the front face of the housing, the isaid spring being in central longitudinal alinement with the draw-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specil'ication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY M. PFLAGER.

Witnesses:

EDWARDy W. FURRELL, ARTHUR 'l. Nonni'. 

